


Finding a Fear

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Following
Genre: Community: comment_fic, F/M, Het, Pre-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike asks Debra what scares her. She can't think of anything, but then she does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding a Fear

"What scares you?"

The question takes Debra aback, makes her blink in surprise because it's not one she was expecting. She's lying in bed right now, curled up in Mike's arms, his chest at her back, their fingers entwined. Neither of them have to be at work today so they get to sleep late, or try to anyway. If they can't, they're good at finding other things to do, one of which is the game they're playing now. 

Debra's not stupid; she knows the game started as Mike's way of getting her to open up to him. They usually stick to easy topics - favourite books, movies, least favourite foods and high school teachers. She'd initially been skittish when the topics strayed near her childhood but talking to him had been easier than she'd ever realised it could be. 

"I'm sorry, is that too serious?" Mike's arms tighten around her and she can almost hear the frown on his face. "I just meant did you have a terror of ghosts or spiders or clowns or something..."

Debra smiles despite herself. "Well clown are kinda creepy," she allows. "But... I don't know. I'm having a hard time thinking of something."

Because when you survive what she's survived, when you've walked away from your family and everything you know at the age of fourteen, when you've lost literally everything, there's not a lot that can scare you after that. 

Then Mike's lips, curled up in a smile, press again the skin of her shoulder and his voice soft and low murmurs teasingly, "Debra Parker, superwoman," and she realises there is something that scares her. She shivers and he feels it, tightens his grip. "Deb?"

There's worry in his voice now and she takes a shaky deep breath. "I just thought of something," she says and she twists in his arms so that she can look into his eyes. His fingers touch her cheek, as if he wants to brush the fear away and she takes another deep breath before she puts her fear into words. 

"Losing you."

The words are a whisper and there's what seems like a long pause before he reacts. And then his lips are on her and his fingers are in her hair and he is kissing her hungrily. 

She's never said anything like that to him before; she rather likes the results. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Deb," he tells her. "I promise."

He kisses her again and things are just getting interesting when his cell phone rings. They pull apart and she can see his reluctance to answer it, just like she understands when he does. It's Troy on the other end and whatever he says has Mike sitting upright, running a hand through his hair, promising to be there as soon as he can. 

When he hangs up the phone, Mike looks at Debra. "I spoke too soon." He's already standing. "Joe Carroll escaped from prison."

Debra's mouth drops open in shock, all regret of their lost day off vanishing. "Let me know where you end up," is all she tells him as she watches him dress quickly, grab his go bag and leave the apartment. 

She takes her time getting up, showers and has a cup of coffee in her hand before she turns on the news. The coverage is already wall to wall Carroll but she's not overly concerned, certainly doesn't think she has any reason to be afraid. 

Later, she'll think back on that morning and she'll know how wrong she was.


End file.
